embellish

English

Etymology

From Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, from em- + bel.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/, /ɛm-/
Audio (US) (file)

Verb

embellish (third-person singular simple present embellishes, present participle embellishing, simple past and past participle embellished)

To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.
The old book cover was embellished with golden letters
(by extension) To enhance by adding something not strictly integral or necessary.
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
  A Scythian Shepherd, so imbelliſhed
  With Natures pride, and richeſt furniture?
  His looks do menace heauen & dare the Gods,
  His fiery eies are fixt vpon the earth.
- 2012 December 29, Paul Doyle, “Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle”, in The Guardian‎, London:
  Podolski gave Walcott a chance to further embellish Arsenal's first-half performance when he eluded James Perch and slipped the ball through to the striker.
To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, to embroider.
to embellish a story, the truth

Synonyms

adorn
beautify
decorate
deck
grace
ornament
prettify
See also Thesaurus:decorate

Translations

to make more beautiful and attractive

Arabic: جَمَّلَ‎ (ar) (jammala), زَخْرَفَ‎ (zaḵrafa)
Armenian: զարդարել (hy) (zardarel)
Bulgarian: украсявам (bg) (ukrasjavam), разкрасявам (bg) (razkrasjavam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 美化 (zh) (měihuà), 修飾 (zh), 修饰 (zh) (xiūshì)
Dutch: verfraaien (nl)
Finnish: somistaa (fi) (make more beautiful and attractive), kaunistaa (fi), koristella (fi) (decorate)
French: embellir (fr)
German: bereichern (de), schmücken (de), verschönern (de)
Greek: διακοσμώ (el) (diakosmó), στολίζω (el) (stolízo)
Hungarian: díszít (hu), szépít (hu)
Ido: beleskar (io)
Irish: maisigh
Italian: abbellire (it), agghindare (it), impreziosire, adornare (it), infronzolare
Japanese: 飾る (ja) (かざる, kazaru)
Malayalam: അലങ്കരിക്കുക (ml) (alaṅkarikkuka)
Maori: maihi, whakarārakai, whakarākai, whakarākei, whakahaumako, whakangako
Persian: آراستن‎ (fa) (ârâstan)
Portuguese: embelezar (pt)
Quechua: achalay (qu)
Russian: украша́ть (ru) impf (ukrašátʹ), укра́сить (ru) pf (ukrásitʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: sgeadaich
Spanish: embellecer (es)
Swedish: försköna (sv), förfina (sv), utsmycka (sv)
Turkish: süslemek (tr), güzelleştirmek (tr)
Ukrainian: прикраша́ти impf (prykrašáty), прикра́шувати impf (prykrášuvaty), прикра́си́ти pf (prykrásýty)

to make sound or look better

Arabic: جَمَّلَ‎ (ar) (jammala), زَخْرَفَ‎ (zaḵrafa)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 點綴 (zh), 点缀 (zh) (diǎnzhui), 修飾 (zh), 修饰 (zh) (xiūshì)
Finnish: kaunistella (fi), parannella (fi)
French: embellir (fr)
German: ausschmücken (de), verbrämen (de), schönreden (de), verschönern (de), idealisieren (de), kaschieren (de)
Greek: εξωραΐζω (el) (exoraḯzo)
Hungarian: szépít (hu), kiszínez (hu)
Italian: imbellettare, abbellire (it), impreziosire
Japanese: 尾鰭を付ける (おひれをつける, ohire-o tsukeru)
Maori: maihi, whakamōmona kōrero, whakahaumako
Portuguese: embelezar (pt)
Russian: приукра́шивать (ru) (priukrášivatʹ)
Scottish Gaelic: sgeadaich
Spanish: adornar (es)
Swedish: försköna (sv), utsmycka (sv)